Refrigerating apparatus



y 8, 1965 R. GAUN 3,184,157

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 20; 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

1916 ATfORN May 18, 1965 R. GALIN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 20, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Robe)? 60/172 BYg g z HIS ATTORNEY May 18, 1965 R. GALIN 3,184,157

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 20, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Haber ab'n BY it u ms ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,184,157 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Robert Galin, Bellbrook, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed dune 2d, 1962, Ser. No. 233,892 '7 (Ilaims. (Cl. 2302l]7) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to an improved hermetically sealed multiple vane rotary compressor for use in refrigerating systems and the like.

One of the big problems in designing a refrigerant comprcssor is that of keeping the size of the compressor and its driving motor down to a minimum.

Another problem is that of reducing the amount of noise transmitted from the motor and compressor mechanism to the outer shell of the compressor housing.

It is an object of this invention to provide a multiple vane rotary compressor which eliminates the need for an inlet valve and wherein the outlet valves are incorporated directly in the rotor so as to reduce the size of the compressor and so as to utilize the inner mass of the compressor and motor mechanism for absorbing the valve noises.

Still another object of this invention is to incorporate in the motor compressor unit per se a series of noise muflling chambers and passages of varying sizes.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved oiling arrangement and oil pump assembly.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 11 of FIGURE 2 showing a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-4. of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 55 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown, the reference numeral 16 designates an outer housing assembly which serves to enclose a motor and a compressor assembly, as shown. The compressor assembly comprises a lower end plate 12, a cylinder element l4 and an upper end plate 16 which are held in place within the housing It) by means of a plurality of bolts 18. The motor comprises a rotor 26 and a stator 21? which is secured to the upper end plate 16 by means of a supporting frame element 22. The frame 22 is secured to the upper end plate 16 by means of a plurality of bolts 24. The rotor 25 is secured to the compressor drive shaft 28 and is provided with a plurality of axially extending refrigerant passages 3!).

The drive shaft 28 has secured thereto an impeller 32 which serves to slidably support a plurality of pumping vanes 34. The vanes 34 are biased outwardly by means of centrifugal action at normal operating speeds of the compressor, but springs 36 serve to bias the vanes outwardly into engagement with the inner peripheral wall 38 of the cylinder block 14 when the compressor is not operating. This serves to eliminate injury to the vanes 34 resulting from the vanes being hurled outwardly against the wall 38 when the compressor first starts up.

The gas to be compressed enters the compressor through 3,l8i,l5? Patented May 18, 1%65 the passage 4% which extends through the bottom wall of the housing 1a. The bottom plate 12 of the compressor is provided with a passage 42 in alignment with the passage 40 and in communication with a cutaway portion 4 in the upper surface of the member 12 which serves as an inlet port for the gas to be compressed. The cylinder block 14 is also provided with a passage 46 which leads from the cutaway portion 44 to a similar cutaway portion 48 in the lower surface of the upper plate 16.

The rotor 32 is provided with outlet ports 5% in its outer periphery as best shown in FIGURE 2. A spring pressed check valve 52 is provided in each outlet port and these valves allow the compressed gas to fiow through radially extending passages 54 into a central bore 56 provided in the lower portion of the main drive shaft 28. The upper end of the passage 56 communicates with a plurality of radially extending ports 58 which discharge the compressed gas into a muffler chamber 60 which is arranged as shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. The chamber 60 communicates with the axially extending passages 30 in the rotor 26 whereby the compressed gas is directed into the space 62 between the top of the rotor 26 and the top wall of the motor compressor housing 10. Oil discharged with the compressed gas can escape from the chamber 6i) through an escape port 61. The compressed gas leaves the housing 10 through the outlet passage 64 which is best shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. In order to prevent lubricant from entering the outlet passage 6d, a short snorkel tube 66 is provided, as shown, adjacent the inlet of the passage 64.

An oil pump is provided in the bottom plate 12 and serves to supply lubricant to the bearing surfaces of the compressor. The oil pump comprises an upper plate 70, a lower plate '72 and an impeller 74, all of which are held in place within a recess 76 formed in the lower surface of the plate 12 by means of a snap washer 78. The impeller element 74 is provided with an upwardly extending hub portion 80 which is adapted to extend up into the center bore formed in the lower end of the drive shaft 28. An -0-ring 8 serves to seal the joint between the compressor shaft and the hub portion St). The hub 80 carries a pin 86 which keys the oil pump impeller hub 80 to the shaft 28. The impeller 74 carries a pair of oil pumping vanes 75 which are biased outwardly by means of a compression spring 77 located between the vanes 75. The oil enters the oil pump through an oil inlet 90 provided in the bottom plate 72 and leaves the oil pump through an oil outlet 92 provided in the upper end plate 70. The outlet 92 communicates with a series of oil feed passages 94 which direct the oil to the various bearing surfaces, as best shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. Oil relief passages 96 are provided as shown in FIGURE 1 for preventing a build-up of oil pressure adjacent the impeller 32. This arrangement reduces the tendency for excess oil entering the compression chamber.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forrns might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a motor-compressor unit, the combination, an outer housing forming an oil sump, a motor disposed wi thin said housing including a main shaft, means forming a cylindrical compression chamber, a rotatable impeller secured to said shaft and mounted within said compression chamber, said impeller being smaller in diameter than said chamber and having contact with one wall of said chamber at one point on its periphery, a plurality of vanes slidably supported in slots formed in the outer periphery of said impeller, means forming communication between the inner ends of said slots, an inlet port for said compression chamber, a plurality of outlet ports end of said bore, said oil pump having an inlet port disposed within said oi-l sump and having outlet means for supplying lubricant to the bearing surfaces of said shaft, said motor including a rotor having an axially extending passage therein located radially outwardly of said shaft bore, enclosure means forming a revolving muiiling chamber connecting said shaft bore and said passage, said enclosure means including means forming an oil drain aperture from said mufiiing chamber for returning lubricant to said oil sump.

2. In a motor-compressor unit, the combination, an outer housing forming an oil sump, a motor disposed within said housing including a main shaft, a compressor including a rotatable impeller secured to said shaft and means surrounding said impeller forming a compression chamber, a plurality of vanes slidably supported in siots formed in the outer periphery of said impeller, pressure equalizing passage means forming communication between the inner ends of said slots, an inlet port for said compression chamber, a. plurality of outlet ports in the outer periphery of said impeller, an axially extending bore in said shaft, a common connection within said impeller between said outlet ports and said bore, said motor including a rotor having an axially extending passage therein located radially outwardly of said shaft bore, an oil pump operatively connected to said shaft and having a portion extending into said bore and sealing the lower end of said here, said oil pump having an inlet port disposed-Within said oil sump and having outlet means for supplying lubricant to the bearing surfaces of said shaft, enclosure means forming a revolving mufding chamber connecting said shaft bore and said last named passage,

said enclosure means including means forming an oil drain aperture from said muflling chamber.

, 3. In a motor-compressor unit, the combination, an outer housing forming an oil sump,'a motor disposed within said-housing, said motor including a main shaft, a compressor supported within said housing and having a rotatable impeller secured to said shaft, said compressor including a compression chamber having an inlet port through which gas to be compressed enters said compression chamber, an outlet port in the periphery of said impeller, an axially extending passage in said shaft communicating with said outlet port, said motor including a rotor secured to the upper end of said shaft and having passage means therein displaced radially outwardly from the axis of said first named passage, means forming a muffling chamber connecting said passages, said last named means having an aperture in one Wall thereof through wmch lubricant separated from the compressed gas may return to said sump, and an oil pump operatively connected to the lower end of said shaft and disposed in said oil sump for supplying lubricant to the bearing surfaces of said compressor. V

4. In a motor-compressor unit, the combination, an outer housing, a motor disposed within saidhousing in- 4 revolving muflling chamber connecting said shaft bore and said passage.

5. In a motor-compressor unit, the combination, an outer housinga motor disposed within said housing including a main shaft, means supported within said housing forming a cylindrical compression chamber, a rotatable impeller secured to said shaft and mounted within said chamber, said impeller being smaller in diameter than said chamber and having contact with one wall of said chamber at one point on its periphery, a plurality of vanes slidably supported in the outer periphery of said impeller, a plurality of outlet ports in the outer periphery of said impeller, an axially extending bore in said shaft, a common connection within said impeller between said outlet ports and said bore, said motor including a rotor having an axially extending passage therein located radially outwardly of said shaft bore, means forming a revolving mufiiing chamber connecting said shaft bore and said passage, enclosure means including means forming an oil drain aperture from said muiiling chamber.

6. In a motor-compressor unit, the combination, an outer housing, a motor disposed within said housing including a main shaft, means supported within said housing forming a cylindrical compression chamber, a rotaeluding a main shaftmneans supported within said housing forming a cylindrical compression chamber, a rotatable impeller secured to said shaft and mounted Within said chamber, said impeller being smaller in diameter than said chamber and having contact with one wall of said chamber at one point on its periphery, a plurality of vanes;

slidably' supported in the outer'periphery of said impeller, a plurality of outlet ports in the outer periphery of said impeller, an axially extending bore in said shaft,

table impeller secured to said shaft and mounted within said chamber, said impeller being smaller in diameter than said chamber and having contact with one wall of said chamber at one point on its periphery, a plurality of vanes slidably supported in the outer periphery of said impeller, a plurality of outlet ports in the outer periphery of said impeller, an axially extending'bore in said shaft, a common connection within said impeller between said outlet ports and said bore, said motor including a rotor having an axially extending passage therein located radially outwardly of said shaft bore, means forming a revolving mulfling chamber connecting said shaft bore and said passage, said axially extending passage having an outlet adjacent the upper portion of said housing, and outlet means adjacent the midportion of said housing for conveying the compressed gas to the outside of said housing whereby the upper portion of said housing serves as an added mufiling chamber and as a lubricant disengaging chamber.

7. In combination, a. housing, a motor within said housing including a rotor and a drive shaft, impeller means on said shaft, cylinder means surrounding said impeller means, a pair of end plates for closing the ends of said cylinder means, the axis of rotation of said impeller being offset from the axis of said cylinder means, means for introducing a gas to be compressed into said cylinder means, said impeller being arranged to contact one portion of the inner periphery of said cylinder means, an inlet port provided in said cylinder means, impeller blade means carried by said impeller, outlet port means in said impeller, an axially extending passage in said drive shaft communicating with said outlet port 'neans, passage means in said motor rotor located radially outwardly of said axially extending passage, a sheet metal cup-shaped washerlike element carried by said shaft and forming a muffling and oil separating chamber connecting the outlet of said axially extending passage and said passage means,

said element having an oil drain port in its bottom wall.

References Citetl'by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/31 Ott l03l35 X 1,967,034 7/34 Lipman 230139 7 1,998,604 4/35 Belder 230l39 2,062,035 '11/36 McCormack 230207 2,246,276 6/41 Davidson ,230-232 2,331,878 10/43 WentWorth 230139 LAURENCE V. EFNER, Primary Examiner,

ROBERT M; WALKER, Examiner. 

1. IN A MOTOR-COMPRESSOR UNIT, THE COMBINATION, AN OUTER HOUSING FORMING AN OIL SUMP, A MOTOR DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING INCLUDING A MAIN SHAFT, MEANS FORMING A CYLINDRICAL COMPRESSION CHAMBER, A ROTATABLE IMPELLER SECURED TO SAID SHAFT AND MOUNTED WITHIN SAID COMPRESSION CHAMBER, SAID IMPELLER BEING SMALLER IN DIAMETER THAN SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING CONTACT WITH ONE WALL OF SAID CHAMBER AT ONE POINT ON ITS PERIPHERY, A PLURALITY OF VANES SLIDABLY SUPPORTED IN SLOTS FORMED IN THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID IMPELLER, MEANS FORMING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INNER ENDS OF SAID SLOTS, AN INLET PORT FOR SAID COMPRESSION CHAMBER, A PLURALITY OF OUTLET PORTS IN THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID IMPELLER, AN AXIALLY EXTENDING BORE IN SAID SHAFT, A COMMON CONNECTION WITHIN SAID IMPELLER BETWEEN SAID OUTLET PORTS AND SAID BORE, AN OIL PUMP OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT AND HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING INTO SAID BORE AND SEALING THE LOWER END OF SAID BORE, SAID OIL PUMP HAVING AN INLET PORT DISPOSED WITHIN SAID OIL SUMP AND HAVING OUTLET MEANS FOR SUPPLYING LUBRICANT TO THE BEARING SURFACES OF SAID SHAFT, SAID MOTOR INCLUDING A ROTOR HAVING AN AXIALLY EXTENDING PASSAGE THEREIN LOCATED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID SHAFT BORE, ENCLOSURE MEANS FORMING A REVOLVING MUFFING CHAMBER CONNECTING SAID SHAFT BORE AND SAID PASSAGE, SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FORMING AN OIL DRAIN APERTURE FROM SAID MUFFLING CHAMBER FOR RETURNING LUBRICANT TO SAID OIL SUMP. 